Composable Finance recently held its inaugural Unchained Conference in Berlin, Germany. The conference gathered DeFi's brightest minds to discuss interoperability and had Composable officially unveil its cross-chain virtual machine (XCVM). Unchained’s flagship keynote consisted of a deep dive and live demo of the XCVM, which represents the core of Composable’s technology stack and the enablement of a novel XCVM-based cross-chain DeFi.
Composable’s XCVM reinvents DeFi’s possibilities.
DeFi presents users with the highest possible returns available today. However, for a user to engage in and utilize DeFi, they must go through several cumbersome steps. They must first select the chain they wish to use. They must then bridge their assets onto that chain. From there, they must choose the protocol they want to use and then deploy their assets onto that protocol. Finally, after completing all of the above, they can perform whatever transaction is necessary to fulfill their need, such as taking out a loan. However, after choosing between multiple ecosystems, they may find that the optimal return for their use case exists on another chain or layer. In addition, any marginal gains possibly made may have been erased through transaction costs or a large amount of time needed for labor and education. The DeFi landscape is complex for a reason, and that complexity is part of why it is able to offer higher returns to users. However, it prevents DeFi from being used efficiently or adopted en-masse. The user experience is simply too ineffective. Composable aims to solve this problem.
The XCVM enables developers to write cross-chain smart contracts and deploy once across different ecosystems. These contracts unify state transition functions across chains to create an asynchronous cross-chain compute environment; all chains are under one smart contract, so users get the best of all ecosystems. This should not be confused with smart contracts that are ‘multi-chain’ because they are interoperable with other ecosystems and can be duplicated cross-chain. Instead, the XCVM sits on multiple chains
at once. As such, the XCVM is able to leverage the entirety of the DeFi landscape to give users the best returns but abstract the process to provide a seamless and streamlined user experience. How Composable’s XCVM redefines the DeFi user experience to generate more value
Users can gain the best return across the entire DeFi ecosystem within a single, simple and accessible interface: the XCVM.
Take an example where a user seeks to take out a loan, with assets on one chain being used as collateral for a loan protocol on another chain, hoping to gain the lowest interest rate. A developer will create a loan-seeking decentralized application through the XCVM’s cross-chain smart contracts. The XCVM will then send IBC information packets to satellite contracts on each associated chain. It will then select the best return across chains and protocols and then autonomously route the assets back to the user through the most efficient network of bridges and swaps. It will then return the user the best loan for the lowest rate in an autonomous manner.
The complexity of DeFi here has been abstracted to provide a seamless and accessible user experience. However, the value in DeFi’s intricate multi-chain landscape has been fully leveraged. The XCVM acts as a top-level orchestration and reconciliation layer that allows multiple different ecosystems to talk and collaborate, to unleash a new paradigm of XCVM-based cross-chain DeFi.
Composable’s XCVM-based cross-chain DeFi is endlessly interoperable and scalable
Composable’s XCVM is housed on a Polkadot parachain. As such, it is reinforced by Polakdot’s shared security advantage, is highly secure and technologically robust, and can handle institutional throughput.
The XCVM leverages Composable’s Centauri and Mosaic pallets to become interoperable with nearly every significant DeFi ecosystems, such as the IBC-Cosmos network of blockchains and Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible Layer 1s and 2s. Centauri allows the XCVM to extend its interoperability through trustless bridges to any chains with a light client installed. As such, it can be easily scaled to new blockchains, such as the NEAR protocol, which commonly integrate light clients into their runtime.
XCVM-based cross-chain DeFi enables a new future
Composable’s XCVM represents the next generation of DeFi’s development. It takes a similar path to the evolution of traditional markets, where DTCC first acted as a reconciliation layer that connected markets, which led to the development of high-frequency trading, and then the eventual evolution of a fully abstracted and optimized user experience via an application like Robinhood.
Composable’s XCVM will allow users to aggregate, maximize, and leverage the entirety of DeFi’s chains. It will also provide the necessary abstraction and virtualization to enable retail and institutional usage. The XCVM represents a significant milestone in developing a cross-chain DeFi landscape composed for mass adoption. It represents a definitive step to mark a frontier for unprecedented innovation: Composable’s XCVM-based cross-chain DeFi.


Markian Romanyshyn ’23
Major: Political Science, Philosophy
Concentration: International Relations
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In a world more interconnected than ever before, where difference is utterly inescapable, many of us look to the virtue of toleration for direction. But even as we hail toleration for its capacity to unite a diverse polis, the idea of toleration itself is fracturing under our noses. On college campuses, for instance, we see some argue for greater toleration of historically oppressed minorities, and others, positioning themselves at odds, argue for toleration of diverse ideas which are potentially anathema to social justice work
per se. In both camps, questions like “Toleration of what?”, “Toleration for which reasons?” and, indeed, “What is toleration in the first place?” are overlooked. To uncover implied answers to these questions, and crucially, to uncover unspoken political implications, this article does three things: First, it highlights the importance of Rainer Forst’s “justifications of toleration” as we seek to understand contemporary discourses, second, it presents an original, three-tier understanding of popular justifications of toleration (which includes the liberal justification, the power-corrective justification and the ethical-corrective justification) and finally, third, it concludes by proposing that Forst’s work writ large, in light of insights gathered in the justification-oriented analysis original to this article, ought to be considered as a means of moving the toleration discourse foreword.


Alcohol abstinence increases the risk for dementia in later life, according to a recent study published in the journal Addiction. Furthermore, neuroimaging records suggest that even low alcohol consumption levels could harm brain health, as does the dose-response relationship between alcohol use and systemic diseases, such as metabolic diseases and certain cancers.


Palm Springs would be the fourth Coachella Valley city to match incentives for turf conversion if a measure on its agenda later this week moves forward.
Driving the news: The City Council will consider legislation authorizing the city to initially spend $150,000 in sustainability funds to match rebates offered by Desert Water Agency (DWA) at its regular meeting Thursday evening. DWA currently offers up to $3 per square foot for customers replacing their lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping. The city would match that amount, ensuring that a total of $6 per square foot would be available to eligible projects. Details: A staff report being reviewed by councilmembers recommends matching up to $5,000 per project, with $100,000 allocated for HOAs and $50,000 available for individual residences. Projects using artificial turf would not be eligible for the rebate funding. Why it matters: Grass is the largest irrigated crop in America, surpassing corn and wheat. It’s estimated that up to 75% of some homes’ water use is spent on lawns. Replacing grass with anything else during a drought is a no-brainer. Larger picture: In September, the Palm Desert City Council approved matching rebates currently offered by the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), putting up to $1 million into a fund. A similar move was made by Rancho Mirage in August. Indian Wells also provides matching grants. Residents of Palm Springs have been asking City Hall for similar moves ever since DWA began recommending and imposing measures aimed at saving water. The city has been doing its part, aiming to replace ornamental lawns with desert landscape at many parks. You can turn here to learn more about the DWA rebate program.


An international group of 28 sea-level scientists and practitioners of the World Climate Research Programme’s Grand Challenge on Regional Sea Level Change and Coastal Impacts has released a new estimate for high-end sea-level rise. High-end sea-level rise projections represent what might happen rather than representing the most likely outcome. They are of particular interest for stakeholders engaged in long-term adaption planning where such uncertainties are important, such as long-life infrastructural projects or coastal land use. The findings were published in Earth Future on Saturday, 22 October. [1]
30 cm lower The new estimates are based on multiple lines of evidence and physical plausibility for each sea-level component, including the critical Antarctic ice sheet contribution. This approach leads to substantially lower numbers than the structured expert judgement used in the latest IPPC-AR6 report for strong warming scenarios at the end of the century: a difference of around 30 cm lower compared to the high impact low likelihood scenarios of IPCC-AR6. The high-end global mean sea-level rise is now projected to be up to 1.3-1.6 meter for strong warming in 2100. Fulfillment Paris Agreement The collapse of major Antarctic ice shelves at the end of this century followed by increased discharge of ice may lead to a 9-10 meter catastrophic sea-level rise by 2300, under the same strong warming scenario. Fulfilling the Paris Agreement will greatly reduce the potential of high-end sea-level rise to 2.2-2.5 m. However, it will not stop sea-level rise until 2300. Hence, we need to be prepared to both mitigate climate change, and adapt in coastal areas. Luckily, such adaptations are feasible for this magnitude of change over multiple centuries in many places. Application of the results Prof. Robert Nicholls from University of East Anglia, who was one of the leaders of the exercise, says: “I think we have found a robust rationale for developing transparent high-end estimates of sea-level rise”. He adds: “This type of information is critical for planning future coastal flood management in our coastal areas, especially cities and urban areas. They show that there is a major challenge in the future even with climate mitigation, and adaptation plans need to be ready for this. In London this is the case, but most coastal cities are not prepared. This assessment process could and should be repeated periodically as the science improves”.
A high-end estimate of sea-level rise for practitioners: R. S. W. van de Wal, R. J. Nicholls, D. Behar, K. McInnes, D. Stammer, J. A. Lowe, J. A. Church, R. DeConto, X. Fettweis, H. Goelzer, M. Haasnoot, I. D. Haigh, J. Hinkel, B. P. Horton, T. S. James, A. Jenkins, G. LeCozannet, A. Levermann, W. H. Lipscomb, B. Marzeion, F. Pattyn, T. Payne, T. Pfeffer, S. F. Price, H. Seroussi, S. Sun, W. Veatch, K. White, Earth Future.


Symptoms "fever and kidney pain"
A urinary tract infection manifests with an unexplained fever, actual kidney pain, shivering and malodorous urine. In case of these symptoms, consult your treating physician immediately.
Urine sampling
The most reliable sampling technique is to have a competent person insert a catheter directly at the base of the stoma.
If you do the sampling yourself, let the urine flow directly into a vessel, which should be positioned at the base of the stoma. For more ease of use, we recommend bending over beforehand, or coughing lightly (the abdominal contractions permit more rapid flow of urine into the vessel).
Controlling the pH level of your urine
pH is a measurement that indicates whether the urine is acid, neutral or alkaline. If the pH in the urine is too high, there is a major risk of infection. The pH is normally around 7. This number varies according to diet and the quantity of liquids absorbed.
You can monitor this pH yourself using strips. This test does not need any particular conditions. It is simply a strip of reactive paper with a color scale that varies depending on pH.
If your pH urine is:
Below 7, the urine is acidic Above 7, the urine is alkaline Is between 8 and 9, you are not drinking enough Maintaining your pH
To maintain a good pH level, you must drink 2L of low-mineral water every 24 hours (excluding coffee, tea, herbal teas,...)


A critical literature review was chosen because, when conducted with rigour, this can establish what is known or unclear on a topic (Grant and Booth, 2009; Aveyard, 2014). A narrative synthesis...
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There may be a multitude of variables to address when developing the terms of a contract for virtually any type of business arrangement. Business owners in Pennsylvania may expect that all other parties involved will provide accurate and truthful information while negotiating terms for the arrangement. However, this might not always be the case, and fraudulent misrepresentation is an issue that remains unfortunately common in business disputes.
The elements
It may come as no surprise that the presence of inaccurate or fraudulent information within the terms of a contract may affect the validity of the agreement. Fraudulent misrepresentation may occur when one party intentionally provides false information to help draw others into an arrangement. In some cases, similar issues may arise when one party exhibits reckless behavior by making statements that may or may not be accurate.
Experts indicate that there are numerous elements to address in claims of fraudulent misrepresentation. Companies that face similar concerns may find that seeking insight into each of these elements may prove integral to determining how best to approach the situation. However, since disputes of this nature can be exceedingly complex at times, this might not always be so simple.
Business disputes
Fraudulent misrepresentation remains a common source of business disputes and those who face such issues might not always be certain of their options or the best course of action to take. Business owners that encounter similar concerns might find it beneficial to speak with an attorney early on for advice in evaluating the situation and addressing all their available options. An attorney can work with a client in preparing to pursue the best outcome achievable regarding his or her business through the proper outlets and provide insight on how to protect against similar issues in the future.


Jim Rogers is an American investor and financial commentator based in Singapore with decades of experience in the field.
He is the chairman of Beeland Interests and co-founded both the Quantum Fund and Soros Fund Management.
Rogers also created the Rogers International Commodities Index (RICI), which tracks 38 commodity futures contracts from 13 international exchanges.
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In this Business Talk interview, Rogers discusses how the Russia/Ukraine conflict has had a major impact on the global economy.
He speculates that the situation could ultimately necessitate even harsher measures than those taken in the past to combat ballooning inflation rates.
Rogers explains how this could result in a significant shift in the balance of global power and the decline of the United States’ global financial influence.
He then argues that the rise of dictatorial leaders could lead to an increasingly regulated global financial landscape with more closed economies and increased conflict.
He also notes that within a decade, we are likely to face a significant economic crisis due to sky-rocketing debt, which could lead to more trade wars.
The full interview with Jim Rogers can be watched below:


by Kevin Richards Industry Vice President, Reed ExhibitionsIn only four short decades, Puerto Rico has emerged as a leading global center for pharmaceutical manufacturing. The island’s pharmaceutical and biotech cluster boasts facilities of industry giants like Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and IVAX, and employs approximately 28,000 people. Puerto Rico led the world in international shipments of pharmaceutical products for 2003, with nearly 25 percent of total shipments.
Puerto Rico’s rise to leadership has been made possible in large part by the hard work and dedication an elite group of highly skilled and productive manufacturing teams. But even the best teams need access to education and training to sharpen their skills and maintain a competitive edge. That’s why we created the INTERPHEX Puerto Rico Conference. Developed specifically for the island’s pharmaceutical manufacturing professionals by ISPE, the leaders in pharmaceutical education, this intensive two-day program, which is paired with a comprehensive exhibition of pharmaceutical manufacturing solutions, will take place February 3-4, 2005 at the Caribe Hilton Hotel & Resort in San Juan.
New pre-event training coursesThis year’s expanded program includes two new pre-event training courses. “Pharmaceutical Water Systems” will explore the fundamental concepts and principles of systems used to generate USP and non-compendial waters. “Technology Transfer for Finished Dosage Forms” will describe a standardized methodology for completing product transfers between manufacturing sites in a timely and approvable manner. Class size for these intensive, two-day sessions is limited to 30 delegates to ensure ample opportunity for one-to-one interaction with instructors.


The Rainforest Alliance welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for an EU directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. This is a pivotal step towards ensuring that all companies identify, prevent, and address human rights and environmental risks across their supply chains. The proposal sends a clear political and market signal by raising the bar for stronger corporate accountability for urgent global challenges, ranging from deforestation and the climate crisis to child labor and rural poverty.
Our organization is part of a global chorus of civil society voices calling for mandatory due diligence legislation. As an international alliance of rural producers, companies, governments, and local NGOs, with more than 30 years of experience working for sustainability transformation in agriculture and forestry, we commend the Commission for addressing both human rights and environmental risks and ensuring that all tiers of the value chain are subject to this due diligence obligation. We also applaud the commitment made by the Commission and EU Member States to continue partnering with exporting countries to increase local capacity to tackle negative social and environmental impacts in supply chains. It is especially important to address challenges faced by smallholders who represent a large, yet marginalized, voice.
As the proposal enters the next stage of the legislative process, we call on the European Parliament and the European Council to strengthen the regulation. We believe the proposed directive can be made even more impactful with:
A broader scope: There should be a clear time-bound path to include smaller companies in the scope of the directive. The integration of climate risk:All companies should assess climate risk and adopt a plan to ensure that business models are compatible with the Paris Agreement. Stronger stakeholder engagement:This should be a requirement not only at the initial risk-identification stage, but also throughout the entire due diligence cycle. The explicit inclusion of the right to a living income: As poverty is a root cause of many sustainability challenges, companies should ensure that their business practices (including pricing, procurement terms, etc.) enable smallholders to earn a living income. The inclusion of responsible purchasing practices:Companies must ensure that their own sourcing and purchasing practices do not negatively impact human rights and the environment. In short, they must support all supply chain actors—especially rural producers—to conduct business responsibly. Responsible disengagement:To be clear, disengagement from a supplier should: a) only be considered as a last resort, if all efforts have failed to engage business partners to mitigate and remediate adverse impacts; b) include consultation with those affected and any relevant stakeholders before reaching a decision; c) take into consideration, and seek to mitigate, the adverse impact on those involved.
Together with thirteen civil society and producer organizations, the Rainforest Alliance will continue engaging with EU decision makers to embed responsible purchasing practices—including the rights of producers to a living income and workers to a living wage—in the future directive. We will continue to encourage lasting trade relationships and advocate for active collaboration with rights holders at all stages of the due diligence process. We will also continue working with companies that support an ambitious due diligence directive in the cocoa sector and beyond.
Do you have further questions or want to get involved? Please contact Fanny Gauttier, the Rainforest Alliance’s public affairs lead, Europe.


What would you do and where would you go if you were offered a set dollar amount toward an experience of your choice? This was the exact question three Smartians answered just before our annual company shutdown for the holidays.
As part of an FY22 referral competition, our teams collectively put on their recruiter hats to connect the best talent they know with the exciting job opportunities we have available at SmartRecruiters.
While offering incentives is a keystone to the success of any employee referral program, instead of a cash prize, we at SmartRecruiters award our winners a designated amount to spend on an experience that lights them up. So, how did our Q3 winners spend their time off over the holidays? From cruising the Caribbean to savoring Savoy, these Smartians made the most of their rewards!
Nikki LaDeur, Customer Success Executive in the US, and her family launched from Miami into a week-long celebration of fun, food, and family
During their vacation, they had the opportunity to enjoy a variety of unique food, explore new beaches and even test out various waterslides aboard the cruise ship.
“The experience provided me an opportunity to fill my family bucket and reconnect with family I hadn’t seen in nearly two years due to COVID,” she said.
Across the Atlantic, Henda Khelifa, Account Executive in France, swapped sun for snow when she took her family to experience the joy of the mountains
From skiing to snowball fights and indulging in Savoyard specialties, Henda shared that this trip allowed her to feel refreshed and ready to tackle a new year.
Also hitting the slopes, Agile Coach Agata Śladowska shared her experience prize with her family by taking a trip to Ski Amade, Austria
Their four-day weekend led to an adventure for her son that included a ski track nearly 60 km long!
Developing a robust referral program can improve all measures of Hiring Success
Not only can proactively pipelining candidates significantly improve Hiring Velocity to ensure critical roles are filled on time, the nature of referrals often reduces overall hiring budget and will likely result in a higher Net Hiring Score.
Employee referrals continue to be a cost-effective way to hire, especially for hard-to-fill positions. And in a day when the job market is increasingly competitive for employers, instead of scrambling to identify brand new ways to attract candidates, tried and true methods, like referral programs, should not be overlooked.
As we launch into 2022 and approach the beginning of our FY23, we anticipate rapid growth and will continue to encourage referrals to support our mission of connecting people to jobs at scale. And if you’re ready to step into a new phase in your own career, we promise you’ll want to jump on this rocketship. From sales to engineering and everything in between, we’re hiring the best people across the world to support our growth and our mission.
Not the right time for you? In the spirit of referrals, share this with someone you know who is ready to make an impact now!


Abstract
Inorganic-organic hybrid material was synthesized by the sol-gel process. The control of the refractive index was achieved by varying the amount of phenyltrimethoxysilane as a refractive index modifier. Thick layers of hybrid material with 22μm thickness were fabricated by a single spin-coating without producing any crack at lower temperature. However, the heat-treatment of the hybrid film above 200 °C induced significant cracks on the surface. The refractive index variations and structural changes as a function of heat-treatment condition were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectrometer.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes Materials Science(all) Mechanics of Materials Mechanical Engineering


By Sarah Payne
On Friday, April 13, the NULab welcomed Sarah Lynn Patterson and Jim Casey, national co-directors of the Colored Conventions Project (CCP), which is based at the University of Delaware. Starting in the fall, Patterson is an assistant professor in the English department at UMass Amherst and Casey is a postdoctoral research associate at the Center for Digital Humanities at Princeton. The CCP recovers Black men’s and women’s political organizing from the 1830s until the 1890s. These individuals came together at national and state level meetings, called “Colored Conventions” to advocate for their rights including citizenship, safety, education, labor rights, and legal justice. The surviving meeting proceedings, newspaper coverage, and petitions provide a fertile ground for understanding and recovering Black political activism during the nineteenth century. While many of the delegates to the meetings were prominent African-American men, ranging from writers and editors to church leaders and entrepreneurs, the role of Black women in the conventions is less well-documented, and women are less evident in the transcribed minutes. One current goal of the CCP is to ensure that, despite this imbalance in representation, the important roles that black women played are visible in research based on the collection.
Patterson and Casey’s talk, “Black Collectives, Black Data, and Public Imperatives,” combined a two-part lecture, a Q&A session, and an interactive component in which attendees could transcribe various documents from the Freedmen’s Bureau Papers. They began the talk by asking the audience to think about data, collectives, and collaborative labor and what happens when we collaborate on projects we couldn’t do individually. Patterson and Casey cited predecessors that have been influential to the CCP, particularly work by women of color such as the Combahee River Collective Statement (1977), Transform DH, and the Crunk Feminist Collective. They made sure to emphasize the substantive DH work that has been done by people of color, which remains underrepresented at many DH conferences, and they shared a list: “Black Digital Humanities Projects and Resources.” Additionally, they stressed the importance of remaining accountable to non-academic communities while working on projects such as these. Patterson and Casey highlighted several key tenets of radical collectives, which they use as a working model: resisting traditional leadership structures and moving beyond academic rank, viewing communities as sites of activist training, focusing on communities’ intellectual rituals and traditions, and recognizing activism as an intellectual endeavor.
The talk then pivoted to the Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon held on February 14, 2018, Frederick Douglass’s 200th birthday. Participants in the event assisted in transcribing documents from the Freedmen’s Bureau Papers. The nearly 2 million image files are housed at the Smithsonian Transcription Center and volunteers can access and participate in transcribing the documents. Those present at the NULab talk were also given the opportunity to transcribe some of the documents, which elicited questions about interpretation and knowledge production, as one attempts to decipher handwriting and present it in a new form. Ultimately, Patterson and Casey emphasized the importance of community accountability and the need to treat subject invisibility as a research endeavor. Just because someone or something is not visible doesn’t mean it’s not there or that it is undeserving of further study.
For lecture slides, including links to the resources discussed by Patterson and Casey, see here.


2020-08-27
After months of public protests, a military uprising culminated in the arrest of Mali’s president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on 18 August 2020, compelling him to dissolve the National Assembly and resign as head of state. In the early hours of 19 August, five military officers sat at a table, announcing a transition on national television. A classic image of past African coup d’états.
The international community has strongly condemned the coup, with the Economic Community of West African States, among others, imposing sanctions on the country despite the risk of aggravating an already severe humanitarian situation.
These reactions predictably align with international norms and reflect the concern to avoid setting a dangerous precedent as West Africa enters a period of potentially highly-contested elections.
However, the reflex to regard last week’s events in Mali as just another case of military abuse of power requiring principled condemnation misses the mark. Quick condemnations signal a lack of self-reflection and accountability by the international community, which missed several opportunities to defuse the crisis before the coup. This principle-based condemnation opposes Malians’ main aim of accessing more responsive, accountable and legitimate governance.
Arguably, political change by coup was a response to gross institutional dysfunction, persistent governmental inertia, and a fundamental breakdown of the social contract. This situation tested the resilience of Mali’s democracy and the patience of a disaffected population faced with acute conflict and social crises.
Loss of public trust in the country’s institutions culminated in the constitutional court’s reported tampering with parliamentary election results in April. Malians were faced with the difficult task of choosing from options for political change in a context where democratic checks and balances were perceived as rigged, corrupt and dishonest.
Without condoning the coup, it’s important to see it as the result of a popular uprising against a failed democratic system in a stalemate. So what should come next?
The 18 August coup appears to have been methodically executed with little or no bloodshed, unlike typical putsches. Coup architects requested the president to dissolve Parliament before resigning, which reflects a refined knowledge of constitutional law. They have to be politically innovative to craft a way forward.
They quickly announced their intention to roll out an inclusive transition, inviting social and political actors to create a new path for all Malians. They also reassured national and international communities of their commitment to key issues including the 2015 agreement for peace and reconciliation, and the continuity of Mali’s collaboration with foreign military partners in addressing terrorism.
This suggests that the coup, if accompanied by an inclusive and participatory sociopolitical framework, could allow Malians to put their social contract back on the table and agree on healthier governance standards.
But this potential can only be realised if the transition is used explicitly to facilitate a reset of democratic values and decades-long governance malpractice. To design a way out of the crisis, stakeholders’ focus must shift from issues of duration and leading personalities of the transition, to the purpose that this period should serve.
The transition should be gauged against a clear mandate that aligns with Malians’ expectations and should set the stage for the launch of long-overdue reforms in public service, economic governance, security governance and electoral administration. The length and modalities of the transition should be derived from this mandate, rather than the other way around.
Acknowledging that no substantial or durable change in governance systems will occur without true national ownership, the definition of transitional priorities should come from a national conversation, rather than be imposed by external partners.
Previous political dialogues (including Ouagadougou, Algiers, the 2017 National Entente Conference and the 2019 Inclusive National Dialogue) offer a clear diagnostic of what’s wrong, as a starting point. Further discussions should focus on sequencing priorities to address during the transition, to initiate necessary changes and make them irreversible.
Milestones could include structural electoral reforms, critical for creating the space for a renewal of the political elite and practices, rather than a redistribution of roles among old actors. This would support momentum for more than cosmetic change. To avoid conflicts of interest, coup and transitional leaders should be barred from seeking office in the next elections.
National processes for security sector reform and public service transformation shouldn’t be delayed, but rather start under the transition, to be continued later by elected authorities.
Whether the transition should be civilian- or military-led is for Malians to determine. If military, there should be guarantees to mitigate the risk of the security situation worsening while the military leadership is busy with political matters. The country’s recent history shows the tendency of violent extremist groups to exploit the opportunity of institutional vacuums or slowness to move their agenda forward.
To gauge the sincerity of the transition and ensure it remains on track to realise its potential for democratic empowerment, attentive monitoring of the socio-political climate is necessary at all stages, using key benchmarks. Civil liberties must be preserved, and exceptional regimes such as states of emergency avoided. Transition monitoring should also include public oversight of increases of wealth among transition actors.
Other points of attention should include the respect for the human rights of all during the transition period, including freedom of assembly, freedom of the press and the rights of dignitaries of the fallen regime to free and fair trials where applicable. All these elements should not only be captured in formal commitments by transition actors but also monitored by independent national and foreign entities until the end of the transition.
This might be what it takes for the 2020 coup to deliver more positive outcomes than previous ones: more accountability, irreversible reform processes, healthier governance practices, and increased and better deserved public trust in institutions.
Ornella Moderan, Head of Sahel Programme, ISS Bamako This article was produced with the support of the United Kingdom Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and the Hanns Seidel Foundation. In South Africa, Daily Maverick has exclusive rights to re-publish ISS Today articles. For media based outside South Africa and queries about our re-publishing policy, email us.


My career goal is to put myself out of a job by eradicating ovarian cancer. As the son of two Air Force officers, I had the privilege of growing up all over the world, including Korea and Germany. These experiences provided unique perspectives and an appreciation for different cultures. Biology was my main interest in school – I was fascinated by how numerous cell types and signaling pathways performed in a spectacular orchestra to sustain “life.” As I started my journey to become a medical doctor, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. As my mom fought her cancer, it became abundantly clear that significant and urgent improvements were needed in the fight against cancer. As a result, my career goals became more focused – to define the biological underpinnings of cancer and to expand the arsenal of anti-cancer tools. At the University of Arizona, I completed my Bachelor of Science in General Biology followed by my Doctor of Philosophy in Cancer Biology. As a graduate student, I focused on examining cancer-specific protein-protein interactions and optimizing novel therapies to target breast cancer cells. After graduate school, I moved to the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA. As a post-doctoral fellow, this was my introduction to ovarian cancer. I quickly realized a significant gap existed in scientific and clinical ovarian cancer knowledge. I also recognized that achieving this goal required a cutting-edge basic science research program integrated with a robust clinical practice. The University of Colorado stood out as an institute that met this requirement and provided a path to achieving my goal. Since joining the University of Colorado, I have worked tirelessly to build a team of clinical and research collaborators who share my passion for eradicating ovarian cancer. The Gynecologic Oncology Research Program at the University of Colorado is supported by the Divisions of Reproductive Science and Gynecologic Oncology, generous and motivated philanthropists, and competitive research grants, including the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) Collaborative Research Development Grant. The Gynecologic Oncology Research Program has three main research goals: 1) To overcome therapy-resistant ovarian cancer, 2) To define the biological underpinnings of ovarian cancer, and 3) To develop strategies to prevent ovarian cancer. We actively address the research goals through several highly collaborative research projects. Since November 2016, the University of Colorado Ovarian Cancer Research Group has developed a pipeline to assess ovarian cancer tumor composition and transcriptional profiles longitudinally. The research group, funded by the OCRA Collaborative Research Development Grant, consists of cancer biologists (Drs. Bitler, Sikora, and Richer), a computer scientist (Dr. Clauset), a gynecologic oncologist (Dr. Behbakht), a pathologist (Dr. Wolsky), and an immunologist (Dr. Jordan). We appreciate that improving ovarian outcomes will require the work of multi-disciplinary teams. The OCRA award will provide pivotal funding to expand our pipeline and empirically define several factors’ contribution in driving therapy response. Our vision is to use cutting-edge technology with machine learning in a clinically meaningful timeframe to predict disease recurrence and inform clinical decisions.


Skills tests show whether retail workers have what it takes to thrive Skills tests show whether retail workers have what it takes to thrive
TRUMBULL, CT USA — August 5, 2020 — Retailers must transform the customer experience to thrive for the future. In a new white paper, Questionmark, the online assessment provider, explores how retailers can identify where skills to drive improvement exist in the workforce and to develop those that are missing.
Despite the trend toward online purchases, experts agree that the physical shopping experience also has a future. But how can employers ensure they have the information they need to make good decisions about how to deliver that experience through the people they employ?
Common ‘people challenges’ in retail – surveys show that eighty-five percent of people admit to lying on their CV.[1] Finding the right staff – available research demonstrates that the average turnover rate among US retailers is more than 60%.[2] This level can damage productivity and increase recruitment costs.[3] Staff turnover – retailers with multiple outlets need to ensure a consistent customer experience across branches. Creating a consistent customer experience – only 25% of investments in training are effective.[4] Upskilling the workforce
To get critical information to inform decisions to address these issues, employers can use online tests and assessments to understand the skills, attitudes and aptitude of their workforce.
Assessments identify skills gaps among the workforce. Testing staff after training shows whether it has been effective. By assessing staff before hiring them, retailers can ensure they are recruiting staff with the skills and attitude to deliver the right customer service experience.
Lars Pedersen, CEO of Questionmark said: “By ensuring that staff have the knowledge, skills and attitude to maintain a consistently high customer service experience, retailers have the chance to thrive. Assessments will give employers real knowledge of the state of play. This can inform good decision making and help retailers reach new levels of success.”
The white paper forms part of the ‘Questionmark Viewpoint’ series which explore the challenges that Questionmark customers face, and how Questionmark helps address them.


In response to Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv urgently needs more military, economic, and humanitarian assistance and is calling for stronger sanctions against Moscow. That was the message that
Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, conveyed during an online discussion hosted by the Transatlantic Task Force on Ukraine.
Thirty-six days after Russia began its military onslaught, Stefanishyna praised the Ukrainian people for bravery and dedication to democratic values in the face of Russia’s actions, which she characterizes as “genocide.” Russian military attacks on Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Kyiv, and other cities have led to thousands of civilian casualties, including children, and over $100 billion in infrastructure damage. As she said, the Russian military has launched over a thousand missiles at Ukrainian sites, with 80% hitting residential areas.
Russia’s war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine, with over eight million people either being displaced internally or having fled abroad. And despite Moscow’s pronouncements about its supposed de-escalation, the shelling and bombing of Ukrainian civilians continue.
This is why the establishment by Western countries of a no-fly zone and the provision of greater air defense capabilities for Ukraine remain a top priority for Kyiv, along with the continued need for other military equipment.
Olga Stefanishyna also discussed the Ukrainian government’s efforts to document what she described as a huge number of war crimes perpetrated by the Russian military against Ukrainian civilians. She said that the Ukrainian authorities possess documented evidence of 3200 cases of Russian war crimes. Justice for the committed atrocities will be pursued through such institutions as the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights. She also voiced concerns about Russia possibly employing chemical weapons in its attacks on Ukraine, which would be a violation of international law.
Ukraine’s deputy prime minister stressed the importance of additional Western sanctions targeting all of Russia’s banks, more measures against Russian oligarchs, and the need for Europe to curtail purchases of Russian energy.
Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, a democratic European country, has created momentum for expediting Ukraine’s integration into the European Union. As Stefanishyna explained, Ukraine, which has submitted an application for candidate status for membership in the EU, is hoping for a positive assessment by the end of April. She noted that 86% of Ukrainians support EU membership for their country and that Ukraine would be a valuable contributor to the organization. As for Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, which are enshrined in the Ukrainian constitution, she believes that Kyiv has done everything possible to move toward NATO but some alliance members do not see Ukraine as part of that “security architecture.”
Thus, in discussions about stopping Putin’s war, Ukraine is prioritizing the concept of obtaining security guarantees from a significant number of individual countries in the region.
Ms. Stefanishyna underscored that Ukraine will not make any compromises regarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Transatlantic Task Force on Ukraine is supported by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation, A Project of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. This event is also supported by the Ukraine Civil Society Sectoral Support Activity implemented by ISAR Ednannia in partnership with the Ukrainian Center of Independent Political Research (UCIPR) and Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM) thanks to the generous support of the American people through The United States Agency for International Development (USAID).


What a beautiful early morning sunrise. A nice but cool morning as I look into the Word of God.
In Galations we read how the grace of God truly is remarkable unto man. For I believe God sees man through the blood of Jesus Christ and grace is given to man. This is why no man can have eternal life and be saved “except” through an individual belief, faith in the risen Savior, Jesus Christ.
We can have a relationship with God through our belief in who Jesus Christ was and is today, the Savior of the world, given to all whom will believe and receive.
As the scripture state in
Galations 2:16, “a man is not justified by works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ”. Did you get this…”we are justified (made righteous) by the faith of Jesus Christ” as we believe in Jesus Christ. IT IS HIS FAITH that is working out in us but it will take us believing by faith in Christ Jesus. We cannot make it happen. Our faith in Christ and His faith working in us!
In other words, it takes both our faith in Christ and His faith, His righteousness, working in us. It is not by our works but it is all about the Spirit of God working good things in us. His love, His mercy and yes, His grace in the believer.
So you might say, that the very key to receive anything you may ask for, lies in these questions: “Are you in Christ Jesus? Are you a believer? For here lies the very fundamental beginning of our faith. It is to the one whom believes who will recieve.
As a believer (a follower of Christ)
verse 19 and 20, “I am dead to the law that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
How exciting it is to know that we are not made righteous by the law or you might say, by works, but through God’s grace and faith in Jesus Christ; for if righteousness cometh by the law (works) then Christ is dead in vain.
This is the very secret of the of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – Christ in me. As stated in
John 14:16-17,23, Christ lives in us by His Spirit. Yes, He is continually present in and with the believer, He knows all that we say, do, hears our prayers and guides our step, as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, His will working in and through us.
Let me state, this faith we exercise in Christ is the faith of Christ in the believer. It is His faith which He lives out through us as we live a life in Him through faith (as a follower): Christ working in and through us.
“It is not I but Christ in me.” Yes, we receive Christ by faith and we continue in Christ by faith: for all we do in this life must be done by faith in Christ, Christ working in and through our lives. This is truly the working of the grace of God.
Throughout the New and the Old Testament alike, the great men of the ages, were justified by “their faith” in God and God’s Word.
As always, love in Christ Jesus,
Paul Lundmark


Bare metal dedicated hosting is a specific type of dedicated web hosting. It offers the tenant unrestricted access to all physical resources of the server. The customers are provided with full root access to their servers, ensuring complete control over the hardware, software, and bandwidth resources.
In most cases, companies are using dedicated servers specifically in case their business is dependent on high-performance or high-availability requirements.
That’s because bare metal dedicated hosting gives you absolute control over your server without any interference from the web hosting provider.
The following is an in-depth review of bare metal hosting:
Advantages of Bare Metal Hosting for Business Websites
One of advantages of using a bare metal hosting provider like MaxiHost is improved performance. When you have complete control over your server, you can configure it precisely in a way that best suits your business needs.
If this involves scaling up the number of websites being served by the dedicated server, then bare metal hosting will allow you to do so easily.
Additionally, once appropriately configured, bare metal hosting allows for easy scalability of your business and greater system reliability because the hosting provider will not have to restart or reinstall any operating systems or applications.
If you are using a virtual hosting plan, your server may have to reboot periodically due to software updates and patches being installed at various times. However, this will not be a concern in the case of a dedicated server.
Another advantage of dedicated hosting is that you will not have bandwidth throttling issues since you can direct all the available bandwidth towards your business website needs.
If you are running a business website, then one thing is for sure; it requires fast and reliable access by users worldwide. It means that your business depends on a smooth and steady flow of traffic to the site.
When using a dedicated hosting solution, your server resources will not be shared with other companies/tenants, ensuring guaranteed performance for your website visitors.
A Dedicated Server in a Hosting Environment
Compared to virtual servers or VPS domains, bare-metal servers usually have more advantages because a dedicated server does not share any resources with other sites. In contrast, VPS domain hosting means sharing the resources of the physical server with others.
One notable downside of bare metal dedicated servers, compared to a shared or virtual one, is that it will cost you more. It can cost as much as 4-5 times more compared to a web hosting package that offers enough resources for your business website.
However, if you are running a business dependent on your site’s uptime and performance, then this added expense may be worth the peace of mind. When your website is down for even a few seconds, it may translate to lost revenue.
Others would choose shared web hosting plans since you can easily upgrade the resources as your business expands, which is not easy with a dedicated server that has limited resources.
The cost of scaling up becomes even higher because you will need to buy an entirely new dedicated server rather than simply upgrading the existing one.
However, dedicated hosting may be more valuable than simply scaling up because you can easily scale down, too, giving you the freedom to choose the correct hosting package for your current business needs. It will also save you money as compared to buying an entirely new host.
In a nutshell, choosing bare metal dedicated servers or your business needs dictate virtual private servers. If you have high-performance and high-availability requirements, then bare metal hosting may be the best choice for you.
It will allow you to scale up as your company grows without incurring huge costs on hardware upgrades.
Interesting Reads:


Have you been diagnosed with pre-diabetes? Do you have family history of diabetes? Are you concerned about developing diabetes in the future? A certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) is a healthcare professional who possesses comprehensive knowledge and experience in the management of diabetes, pre-diabetes, and diabetes prevention. Spend an hour with Laura Moran, our registered nurse and CDCES, to learn how you can prevent diabetes through modest lifestyle changes.
All sessions will be taking place virtually using Zoom. A call-in option is available for those without video access. Meeting details will be provided via email 1-2 days before the program date.


Living In The Tension:
The Quest for a Spiritualized Racial Justice
Shelly tochluk
Paperback, 260 pgs., 6" x 9", references, index
$21.95
A detailed look at how those holding spiritual worldviews and those who seek racial justice often misunderstand one another. The author takes a "both/and" approach, exploring how spirituality and racial justice can co-exist and work together.
For many, spiritual and racial justice principles go hand in hand. Yet, although seemingly compatible, tensions often arise when people try to live out their associated values and strategies. Further, there are those who sit solidly on one side of either spirituality or advocacy and fail to see the connection between the two.
Spiritually-oriented people often say:
People focused on politics and social justice activism are angry, wounded, unhealthy individuals who sabotage their own efforts by using antagonistic and divisive language, including terms like oppression, privilege, and supremacy.
On the other hand, racial justice advocates often say:
People focused on their spirituality as part of their personal growth are trying to escape into transcendence or a false “kumbaya” experience and deny their ongoing role in continuing personal and institutional racism, privilege, and the reinforcement of an unjust status quo that operates through interlocking systems of oppression.
Why do these tensions matter?
There is a vast potential of untapped transformative power waiting to be released if activists and spiritual people of various racial backgrounds build and strengthen bridges between their differing principles and expectations.
How can this book help?
Each chapter tackles one tension-filled theme and asks: What happens if one side of the tension is ignored? How can a both/and approach allow spirituality and racial justice efforts to support one another?
Chapter 1: Transcendence and Race Consciousness
Chapter 2: Self-Acceptance and Self-Improvement
Chapter 3: Personal Healing and Political Action
Chapter 4: Common Humanity and Group Differences
Chapter 5: Belonging and Appropriation
Chapter 6: Inner Truth and Accountability


The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated organizations’ digital transformation efforts, regardless of whether they were ready for it or not. Now, as businesses have adjusted their plans to factor in the ongoing effects of the pandemic, digital transformation has become not just a business initiative, but one of high priority. In fact, Gartner found that digital transformation is now […]
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In recent months, Kenyan parents have been airing out their grievances on the difficult assignments given to learners under the newly launched Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
The Ministry of Education, through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), noted that the homework and assignments given to the students should not be done by the parents.
“CBC does not make parents do homework. They are only required to guide the learners,” KICD chief executive Charles Ong'ondo noted.Students carrying out projects in the CBC education systemFile
He added that parents should be facilitating their young ones to work on the assignments independently.
The CEO highlighted that in the new curriculum guidelines, parents are required to enhance the learning achievements of their kids as guided by the teacher.
This comes as parents are complaining about the curriculum being expensive, as schools demand that they buy many learning materials.
"If a learner has been given an assignment and you the parent decide to do the work, then you are not helping him or her develop and acquire these competencies," Ong'ondo mentioned.
The professor noted that teachers, through homework and other assignments, help in focusing on seven core competencies for basic education.
He said school assignments are meant to ensure young ones have communication and collaboration skills - and are critical thinkers, problem solvers who can grow their imagination and creativity.
He noted that learners should also have a sense of citizenship, digital literacy, learn on their own and develop self-efficacy.
He also pointed out that it is through the assignments and engagements that learners meet the intended purpose of the CBC.
The KICD boss added that, unlike the 8-4-4 system, CBC has shifted from knowledge-based to focus on practical learning, development of skills and nurturing values.
KICD announced that it is working to resolve all challenges based on the feedback of critics and stakeholders.
This comes as a case was filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President, Nelson Havi court on Thursday seeking to stop the CBC implementation.Former LSK President Nelson Havi in courtFile
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Recent studies focus on formulating the traffic forecasting as a
spatio-temporal graph modeling problem. They typically construct a static spatial graph at each time step and then connect each node with itself between adjacent time steps to construct the spatio-temporal graph. In such a graph, the correlations between different nodes at different time steps are not explicitly reflected, which may restrict the learning ability of graph neural networks. Meanwhile, those models ignore the dynamic spatio-temporal correlations among nodes as they use the same adjacency matrix at different time steps. To overcome these limitations, we propose a Spatio-Temporal Joint Graph Convolutional Networks (STJGCN) for traffic forecasting over several time steps ahead on a road network. Specifically, we construct both pre-defined and adaptive spatio-temporal joint graphs (STJGs) between any two time steps, which represent comprehensive and dynamic spatio-temporal correlations. We further design dilated causal spatio-temporal joint graph convolution layers on STJG to capture the spatio-temporal dependencies from distinct perspectives with multiple ranges. A multi-range attention mechanism is proposed to aggregate the information of different ranges. Experiments on four public traffic datasets demonstrate that STJGCN is computationally efficient and outperforms 11 state-of-the-art baseline methods.
Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.13684


by Melissa Chichester
And although this gland is small, it plays many important roles in the body.
Here are 7 questions you may have about the thyroid and how you can care for this important part of your health and wellness.
The thyroid’s main job is to create hormones, including thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones are made from dietary iodine. Then they travel throughout your body to support metabolism, growth, and body temperature.
Yes. Your doctor can order certain blood tests to evaluate thyroid function. According to the American Thyroid Association, the first test conducted is typically a TSH blood test. However, this may vary depending on your doctor and your health. This test measures thyroid hormone levels.
Other tests include blood tests for antibodies, T3 tests, and T4 tests. Non-blood thyroid tests include ultrasounds, scans, and a radioactive iodine uptake test.
The only way to know for sure if you have a thyroid issue is to have testing done by a healthcare professional.
Healthy habits that support overall good health also support thyroid health. This includes regular exercise, eating a well-rounded diet that includes fruits and vegetables, and avoiding smoking.
However, it is worth noting that your intake of healthy foods should include food sources of iodine. Iodine is a natural trace element and an essential nutrient for thyroid health.
The Recommended Dietary Allowances for iodine are 150 mcg for men and women older than 19, and slightly higher for pregnant women (220 mcg).
A well-rounded diet that contains a variety of fruits, vegetables, protein types, and whole grains supports overall good health.
If you want to ensure you are receiving adequate iodine, there are some foods enriched with iodine, including some brands of table salt and bread. Other sources of iodine include dairy products, seafood, and eggs. One of the best food sources of iodine is seaweed.
What supplements support thyroid health?
To complement a healthy diet, supplements can be useful to your daily routine, including:
Self-exams are a great way to check your thyroid. Here’s how the Cleveland Clinic suggests conducting a thyroid self-check. You will only need a mirror and a glass of water.
Find the area where your thyroid is located. It is in the area between the collarbone and Adam’s apple. Women can look from the collar bone up to find it.
While looking in a mirror, tip your head back.
While your head is tipped back, take a drink of water. Look at the area where your thyroid is.
Look for lumps or bumps on the thyroid while swallowing.
Repeat the test. If you see any bumps, contact your doctor.
The thyroid is a small but complex gland. Optimal thyroid health can be achieved by communicating any concerns you have with a doctor. This is especially important as you get older or if you have a family history of thyroid issues.


Project Details Description
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is recognized as a leading cause of death worldwide, resulting in 20 million deaths each year [1]. At the core of most CVDs is atherosclerosis, a chronic vascular inflammatory driven by both the innate and adaptive immunity processes. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), transporters of cholesterol, initiate the inflammation. Oxidized LDLs (oxLDLs) activate endothelial cells to promote secretion of chemokines. These draw the immune cells, including innate immunity peripheral monocytes, dendritic cells (DCs) and adaptive immunity T cells, into the intima. There they react with ApoB100 to initiate inflammation. Currently, antigen-specific immunotherapy to establish immune system tolerance is showing promising results [2-4]. Nevertheless, there are still challenging problems to be addressed: 1) Inflammatory immune cells within lesions must be targeted more specifically and effectively. 2) Host immunity cannot be compromised and deleterious side effects must be minimized for long- term host survival. The solution: The development of a nanostructure-enhanced targeting system that efficiently targets DCs in atherosclerotic lesions, regulating inflammatory immune cells specifically to minimize systemic side effects. AIM 1: Construct a DC-targeting peptide-based polymersome system to specifically and efficiently target plaque-resident DC populations. I have shown PEG-bl-PPS polymersomes’ superior specificity to DCs in atherosclerotic lesions[5]. Additional modifications to link a DC-targeting peptide with non-activating fashion, P-D2, to polymersomes will offer better specificity and efficiency. AIM 2: Effectively modulate DCs by utilizing antigen ApoB-100 peptide P210 and 1,25(OH)2D3 to induce Treg cells and inhibit T effector responses to ApoB-100. To induce antigen specific tolerance to attenuate inflammation, polymersomes will deliver ApoB-100 and vitamin D3 agonist to DCs, which will induce ApoB-100 specific Tregs.
Status Finished Effective start/end date 7/1/17 → 6/30/19 Funding American Heart Association (17POST33670713) Fingerprint
Explore the research topics touched on by this project. These labels are generated based on the underlying awards/grants. Together they form a unique fingerprint.


THE SEVEN KEY ELEMENTS OF SMART SCHOOLS SmART Schools seek to engage all students, to ignite their creativity and enhance learning, innovation, and achievement. More specifically, the program has seven key elements to improve student achievement and social success:
1.
Infuse the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts) into every classroom, every day.
2.
Design and implement rigorous standards-based, arts-infused curriculum, instruction and performance assessments.
3.
Develop culturally responsive practices that sharpen “cultural dispositions” necessary for teaching and honoring students from all cultural backgrounds.
4.
Promote “global competencies” to awaken every student’s capacity to investigate the world, appreciate diverse perspectives, communicate their ideas, and take appropriate action.
5.
Foster a personalized and inclusive school culture.
6.
Cultivate arts-centered “professional learning communities” supported by Collaborative Leadership Teams, SmART Coaches, ongoing professional development, and on-site support.
7.
Build and support strong partnerships among family, school, community, arts and cultural organizations, and institutions of higher education; and create opportunities for learning through service to the community.


Abstract
Recent tax credit proposals to help low- and middle-income families, such as Senator Kamala Harris’ LIFT the Middle Class Act, are being hotly debated. We examine the ability of these proposals, the current earned income tax credit (EITC), and the child tax credit (CTC) to achieve three goals: reducing poverty, making work pay, and supporting children. While these goals overlap, it would be a mistake to ignore the tradeoffs involved when deciding which goal to prioritize. In this context, the EITC stands out: it reduces poverty, supports work, and supports children. Efforts to expand the EITC, specifically the GAIN Act proposed by Senator Sherrod Brown and Representative Ro Khanna, thus also have strong appeal. A worker tax credit is also promising, specifically to support work. Recent expansions to the CTC are not likely to be socially beneficial, especially given their costs, but there is a strong case to reform the CTC to better target poor families.
This report was originally published by the Brookings Institution on January 15, 2019.


After the COVID-19 pandemic, digital adoption is accelerating in almost every industry and manufacturing is no exception. According to the 2021 Digital Transformation Assessment study conducted by IBM and The Manufacturer, 67% of manufacturers have accelerated digital projects after COVID-19. We explore how digital technologies affect manufacturing with key technologies and trends.
Digital transformation is the use of the latest technologies to enhance existing processes and offer new and improved services and products to customers. It aims to create value by changing how businesses operate and how they deliver value to customers.
Digital transformation (DX) is a major challenge and opportunity for businesses. Even though executives are willing to apply digital transformation to the organization, in-house teams may not have the experience or time to achieve this objective. Digital Transformation Consultants can help the organization overcome the challenge by establishing a digital strategy and implementing digital technology across the enterprise.


Abstract
Glycogen levels, glycogen synthase activities, and glycogen synthase protein levels were determined in liver tissues obtained from 14- to 19-day-old fetal mice, newborn mice, and adult mice. The results of these experiments demonstrate a significant increase in the quantity of hepatic glycogen synthase beginning at Day 17 of gestation and reaching adult levels at birth. However, during the same time period, there is a dramatic decrease in total glycogen synthase activity suggesting that the accumulating glycogen synthase molecules are unable to transfer UDP-glucose to glycogen. These inversely coordinated changes in the quantity and activity of glycogen synthase are consistent with the suggestion that glycogen synthesis in the near-term fetal mouse is being maintained by preexisting enzyme, while accumulating enzyme molecules may represent a quiescent isozyme.
ASJC Scopus subject areas Biophysics Biochemistry Molecular Biology


This document is an agreement for the assignment of a property lease, to be used when a business which is operating from leased premises is sold.
The parties to the agreement will be the assignor, the assignee and the lessor. However, you will also need to consider whether there are any other parties who must provide consent, such as the mortgagor of the premises.
This agreement provides that, on the date of the assignment, the assignor is released from obligations under the lease. However, in some instances the assignor may have ongoing liability. This aspect will need to be considered in the context of the various state leasing laws.
Practitioners may also need to consider whether there are any conditions precedent to this assignment agreement becoming effective, such as the completion of the business purchase.
Using this precedent
This precedent will serve as a guide to the sorts of matters which will need to be considered by parties and their advisers when assigning a property lease. Practitioners should consider the specific facts relevant to each case. In particular, tax implications (particularly stamp duty and income tax) will affect a large number of aspects of the transaction, and these should be the subject of separate consideration in each case.
This document has been authored for
LexisNexis by Rosalyn Gladwin.
This document is prepared with the assistance of Specialist Editor
Murray Landis, Partner, K&L Gates.


The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) recently revised Directive 2013-01 on Functional Affirmative Action Plans (FAAPs). The changes in this third revision to the Directive are relatively minor. The occasion, however, provides a good opportunity to review whether a FAAP is appropriate for your program, including what level of effort is involved in maintaining the Plans.
What is a FAAP? OFCCP’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) states that a FAAP “permits the development of a program organized around functional or business units [which are] not generally defined by physical location, but rather refers to a component within an organization that operates autonomously in the ordinary course of the organization’s business.” By reporting operationally rather than by discrete work locations as in the more common ‘establishment’ (location-specific) reporting, “FAAPs allow contractors more flexibility in structuring their affirmative action programs to better align with [the] way in which their organization operates.”
The single work locations reported in establishment-based Affirmative Action Plans (AAPs) often gather employees from multiple business units who do not work together. As FAAPs reflect how a business is organized, they can better reveal related employees’ gender, race, veterans and disability profiles. Contractors can utilize both FAAPs and establishment-based AAPs for different parts of their organizations.
Federal contractors cannot report via FAAPs without OFCCP approval. Under the updated Directive contractors must, among other things, notify OFCCP of changes to the FAAP point of contact (the “primary corporate contact” the contractor must identify for OFCCP) at least once per year; notify the Agency when it implements its newly approved FAAP; provide headquarters address and related identifying detail; and submit data regarding the FAAP in Excel or CSV format. OFCCP may now also request additional documentation when reviewing a FAAP application.
OFCCP states that it “currently has FAAP agreements with 86 contractors that cover 2,509 functional units.” Why is this? A significant issue is the administrative burden created by Directive on contractors who seek or maintain FAAPs.
Contractors must seek OFCCP approval to implement a FAAP. The voluminous information that contractors must provide when seeking permission to implement a FAAP is outlined at Attachment A to the revised Directive. OFCCP has, if anything, increased the complexity of the approval process. In addition to requesting additional when reviewing the FAAP application, OFCCP may also require a conference to review the application as part of the “negotiation process” outlined in Attachment B to the Directive. There is nothing simple about the negotiation’s discussion points, which may include:
No Agency permission is required to maintain or modify an establishment-based Affirmative Action Plan (AAP). Contractors must also seek permission to modify FAAPS to reflect changes in business operations. Despite asking contractors to comment on the “burden” in maintaining a FAAP, OFCCP appears to continue to underestimate the level of effort involved in establishing and maintaining a FAAP.
OFCCP calculates that it takes approximately twenty-five hours of preparation for contractors to request permission to maintain a FAAP. It bases its estimate on tasks including describing the function of the business unit at issue; drafting a transition plan for moving from establishment-based AAP to FAAP; and being “prepared to discuss” personnel procedure for recruitment, hiring, etc. in the negotiation process. Twenty-five hours is about two-thirds of one person’s work week. OFCCP’s estimate does not factor in necessary internal activities such as legal review and securing leadership approval to request FAAPs. The estimate also does not include the time to negotiate permission to establish a FAAP. This, and other issues such as the burden estimate for modifying a FAAP (only 10 hours), hint at why the FAAP program is undersubscribed.
If you have multiple establishments and multiple business units within your company, your employer should consider FAAPs. They can provide views of your diversity profile and of patterns and trends in hiring, promotions and terminations useful in determining how best to ensure equal access to the workplace. However, expect to expend a lot of person hours to create and maintain the Plans.


It's our duty to keep costs clear.
Managing healthcare costs can be confusing and overwhelming—you don't want to pay more than you have to.
We want you to feel empowered to plan ahead and make choices that are best for you. That's why we're focused on making your healthcare costs transparent and clear.
Here's what you will need to get a price estimate:
Complete contact information, including name, address, email, and a valid phone number. Gather your health insurance information including payer name, policy number, and group number, if applicable. The CPT code for the service. Your physician's office can provide the code for you. This is necessary to ensure the estimate given is for the correct service. Florida Price Finder
For the latest information regarding Florida's healthcare costs, and to help you make more informed healthcare decisions, visit the Agency for Health Care Administration's Florida Health Price Finder.
Good Faith Estimate
You have the right to a Good Faith Estimate. This means that if you do not have insurance, or if you are not using insurance, you can receive an estimate of the total expected cost of non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
For more questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit cms.gov/nosurprises.
Financial assistance.
We understand that sometimes, financial difficulties happen and can affect your ability to pay for care. We want to help deliver the healthcare you and your family need, regardless of your situation.
We offer financial assistance on a case-by-case basis. This can help cover the cost of healthcare expenses for eligible individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, ineligible for a government program, or otherwise unable to pay, due to limited financial resources. To see if you qualify, please submit a Financial Assistance Application.
Please note healthcare services under this policy do not include non-employed medical staff members, such as radiologists, anesthesiologists, and certain cardiologists.


Revenue for social casino game developer DoubleDown fell to $85.5m in Q1 2022 (£69.2m/€81m), a decrease that had a knock-on effect for the quarter's remaining results.
Revenue fell year-on-year by 11.5%, from $96.7m in Q1 2021. DoubleDown attributed this to stay-at-home orders – which were enforced due to the Covid-19 pandemic – being lifted throughout Q1 2022.
Operating expenses totaled at $60.8m, falling by 14.3% year-on-year. This was linked to the decrease in revenue. Revenue costs made up most of the expenses, at $28.8m, a decrease of 14.7%.
Sales and marketing costs made up $19.7m, remaining steady from Q1 2021, while general and administrative expenses rose by 22.4% to $5.2m.
Research and development costs fell to $4.6m from $5.6m, while depreciation and amortisation costs decreased significantly by 70.4% to $2.2m.
After considering this, the operating income for the quarter totaled at $24.6m, down by 3.6%.
Interest income and gain on foreign currency transactions and remeasurement added $2m to income. However, this was offset by a $1.7m loss in short-term investments, $470,000 in interest expenses and $35,000 in other costs.
The pre-tax income amounted to $24.5, down by 6%. After income tax expenses of $6m, the total net income for the quarter was $18.4m, a fall of 19.4%.
Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) came to $29.6m.


A co-authored research article by
Prof. Alan Floyd (Professor of Education, University of Reading) and one of his former doctoral students, Dr. Wayne Rimmer, has recently been published in ELT (English Language Teaching) Journal.
The article, titled ‘Teaching associations and professionalism’, reports findings of a study which set out to explore the role of teaching associations (TAs) in developing EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers’ sense of being a professional. Through content analysis of interviews with ten members of TAs and nine non-members, the study finds that “non-members rejected members’ commitment to TA membership as confirmation of professionalism. However, all teachers agreed TAs made a considerable contribution to professionalism through CPD. Concerning impact, the only consensus was that too few teachers are aware of TAs for them to be significant.”
In summary, the study suggests that TAs can play a role in professionalism provided they remain relevant to teachers’ changing contexts and consider non-members’ interests.
To read the article, please click here. (Subscription is required)
Reference
Rimmer, W., & Floyd, A. (2020). Teaching associations and professionalism.
ELT Journal. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccaa003


Chandrakala Ras is an herbal formulation in the form of a tablet. It consists of herbal and mineral components, So, it should be strictly used under medical supervision. This tablet is prepared classically and devoid of any chemical, additive, and preservatives. So, they don’t cause any adverse effects on the body.
Contraindications Over dosage might alter control of blood sugar levels. This medicine should only be taken under strict medical supervision. Avoid consumption of this medicine during pregnancy. Self-medication is not encouraged.


Computational methods, in particular text-as-data or Natural Language Processing (NLP) approaches, have become popular to study climate change communication as a global and large-scale phenomenon. Scholars have discussed opportunities and challenges of these methods for climate change communication, with some proponents and critics taking strong positions, either embracing the potential of computational methods or critically questioning their value. Mirroring developments in the broader social scientific debate, we aim to bring both sides together by proposing a reflexive, integrative approach for computational research on climate change communication: We reflect on strengths (e.g., making data big and small, nowcasting observations) and weaknesses (e.g., introducing empiricist epistemologies, ignoring biases) of computational approaches. Moreover, we also provide concrete and constructive guidance on when and how to integrate (or not integrate) these methods based on theoretical considerations. We thereby understand computational methods as part of an ever-increasing, diverse toolbox for analyzing climate change communication.


For decades, gambling has been a popular leisure activity among adults of all ages, as it provides an interactive form of entertainment for individuals that enjoy high-stakes games. However, with gambling becoming more present in the everyday lives of people, punctual gambling laws have been adopted to avoid unfair games and cheating.
In today’s article, we will offer a detailed analysis of 3 of the most emblematic casino games which are often played against the law, either due to lack of awareness or in the attempt of achieving a certain profit that would otherwise be impossible to reach in well-established casinos.
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The concept of underground poker refers to a type of poker game that takes place on a site that doesn’t operate under a local gambling jurisdiction. All the basic rules of poker are still viable for underground poker rounds as well.
In the UK, according to the Gambling Act released in 2005, poker games which are played for real money are mostly restricted within the grounds of licensed casinos.
It is relevant to note that poker games can still be played within private homes or other similar places without a legal license if no individual receives a percentage of people’s bets in exchange for hosting the game.
Despite its illegal claims, underground poker is believed to be widespread throughout the UK, especially in Greater London.
As for the USA, the legality of underground poker varies from one state to another, but for the vast majority, playing either for fun or money without offering a designed person a percentage of people’s bets should still be deemed legal if it takes place in private homes.
Illegal Baccarat mainly refers to playing Baccarat within the legal grounds of a licensed casino. The Baccarat rules are easy to comprehend, so the popularity of the game has been continuously increasing ever since it has been introduced in the West.
In the UK, the game has been declared a game of ‘chance rather than skill’ in the 19
th century, which significantly changed the course of the way Baccarat playing sessions took place.
Since then, all the Baccarat games that are played with real money must take place in an organized regulated space by the UKGC if someone receives a percentage of people’s bets.
Playing for money in private spaces owned by one of the gamblers without someone getting a cut of people’s bets is not specifically illegal, but it still falls within a grey area.
In the USA, the laws are more restrictive, as even online gambling is only legal in very few states. Hence, it is probably better to refrain from playing Baccarat for money outside a legalized ground.
Instead, you can try playing this game with your friends by using chips so you can enjoy a pleasant leisure activity without the fear of breaching the law.
Street Craps is a dice game in which a selected number of players place bets on the outcome of throwing a pair of dice. It is a variant of Craps which happens outside a regulated casino site. Learning how to play Sreet Craps is very accessible, for the rules are mostly self-explanatory.
The appeal of Street Craps lies in its fast-paced nature, which often disappears when it takes place within a casino. The rules for street craps are also fewer in comparison to its casino-based version. However, its legal nature is disputable, so the number of players who engage in this version of Craps has substantially decreased over the years.
In the UK, while it is not illegal to play street craps for real money, it is not legal for any player to receive a cut of people’s bets or winnings. But being stopped during a round by a police officer or being noticed by a UKGC agent during your gameplay has discouraged many Street Craps lovers from meeting in the alleys and playing their favourite game.
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In the USA, the regulations for Street Craps can vary from one state to another, but the main rule remains: no player is ever allowed to obtain a percentage of the money used in the game for organizing a Craps playing session outside a regulated legal ground.
Blackjack is one of the most popular gambling games out there, for its simple rules and fast-paced style appeals to several players. The game uses a 52 cards system, and several popular strategies are known to offer players higher winning chances when applied.
Technically, in the UK, as long as no player gets a percentage of people’s bets or winnings, playing Blackjack among friends shouldn’t be a problem. It is relevant to note that such endeavours must always take place within private homes, and not in public pubs or clubs.
As for the USA, the law for online Blackjack highly varies depending on the state you live in. Whilst some states have detailed regulations toward playing Blackjack outside casinos, others offer more ambiguous information. Hence, we would strongly recommend gamblers refrain from playing Blackjack outside a legalized site, for they may end up breaching the law.
Playing games of chance among friends outside casinos is indeed a fun activity that should always be encouraged when it comes to casual play. When players decide to gamble for real money, it would be recommended for them to play within a regulated and licensed site.
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Playing inside a renowned casino offers players the guarantee of safe gambling and fair results. Hence, they can enjoy countless playing sessions in a safe environment without having to worry about breaching the law.


Status epilepticus (SE) remains life thereatening condition with limited therepautic options. Benzodiazepine-refractory, or established, SE is thought to be of similar pathophysiology in children and adults, but differences in underlying aetiology and pharmacodynamics might differentially affect response to therapy (Chamberlain et al., 2020). The results of double-blind, response-adaptive, randomised controlled clinical trial (ESETT) comparing levetiracetam, phosphenytoin and valproate in children and adults with convulsive status epilepticus that was unresponsive to treatment with benzodiazepines were recently published (Kapur et al., 2019; Chamberlain et al., 2020). The primary outcome was absence of clinically evident seizures and improvement in the level of consciousness by 60 minutes after the start of drug infusion, without additional anticonvulsant medication. The primary safety outcome was life-threatening hypotension or cardiac arrhythmia. The weight-based infusion rate provided levetiracetam at a dose of 60 mg per kilogram (maximum, 4500 mg), fosphenytoin at a dose of 20 phenytoin equivalents [mgPE] per kilogram (maximum, 1500 mgPE), or valproate at a dose of 40 mg per kilogram (maximum, 3000 mg). The interim analysis was performed after successful enrolment of 400 patients, and meeting a predefined futility criterion for stopping the trial. The anticonvulsant study drugs each led to seizure cessation and improved alertness by 60 minutes in approximately half the patients, and the three drugs were associated with similar incidences of adverse events.
The other report (Chamberlain et al., 2020) demonstrated further data after study continuation and enrolment of children to enrich the planned secondary age analysis. In total 462 unique patients were included: 225 children (aged <18 years), 186 adults (18–65 years), and 51 older adults (>65 years). Patients were randomly assigned in a response-adaptive manner, using Bayesian methods and stratified by age group (<18 years, 18–65 years, and >65 years), to levetiracetam, fosphenytoin, or valproate. It was found that children, adults, and older adults with established SE responded similarly to levetiracetam, fosphenytoin, and valproate, with treatment success in approximately half of patients.
It was concluded, any of the three drugs could be considered as a potential first-choice, second-line drug for benzodiazepine-refractory SE.
Key points:
Status epilepticus, treatment, levetiracetam, fosphenytoin, valproate
References:
1: Chamberlain JM, Kapur J, Shinnar S, Elm J, Holsti M, Babcock L, Rogers A, Barsan W, Cloyd J, Lowenstein D, Bleck TP, Conwit R, Meinzer C, Cock H, Fountain NB, Underwood E, Connor JT, Silbergleit R; Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials; Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network investigators. Efficacy of levetiracetam, fosphenytoin, and valproate for established status epilepticus by age group (ESETT): a double-blind, responsive-adaptive, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2020;395(10231):1217-1224.
2: Kapur J, Elm J, Chamberlain JM, Barsan W, Cloyd J, Lowenstein D, Shinnar S, Conwit R, Meinzer C, Cock H, Fountain N, Connor JT, Silbergleit R; NETT and PECARN Investigators. Randomized Trial of Three Anticonvulsant Medications for Status Epilepticus. N Engl J Med. 2019;381(22):2103-2113.


When you work with organizations like BMW or NASA, quality cannot be left to chance. Working with large components introduces some particular measurement challenges. High accuracy is required on such large and detailed parts, as operators must negotiate between the sheer size of parts and the necessity of precise measurements.
FARO Technologies 250 Technology Park | Lake Mary, FL 32746 (800) 736-0234


Yes. California mandates that employers offer nonexempt workers a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break if they work a five-hour or longer shift. If a shift is less than six hours and both parties agree, the meal break can be waived. Also, employees must receive a second...
While you want to be a diligent employee, your life simply doesn't revolve around your job. You also have your health and a family to take care of and support. Some companies try to facilitate a positive work-life balance for their staff members by offering generous...
California employees often rely on their severance agreements to keep them going until they are able to find another job. They have the ability to negotiate, and they do not just have to take what their employer offers. Negotiating a strong severance agreement is...


The recent global pandemic has shown that the internet has become much more than just a communications and commerce platform. Today, it has become an essential part of society, providing a foundation for information, interaction, self-expression and personal connections across the entire world. We’re now in a world where digital transformation is the word of the day.
The unprecedented growth and reach of the internet are unlocking new economic opportunities for billions of people, but they have also introduced some major challenges. Many people still face accessibility barriers, while cybersecurity risks are undermining the trust and reliability that are essential. To keep our increasingly connected environments free and secure for everyone to operate with full privacy, governments and the technology community and corporate boardrooms need to invest in digital trust.
Recognizing the internet’s fundamental role in driving digital transformation, the U.S. government teamed with 60 global partners to develop A Declaration for the Future of Internet. Released in April 2022, this Declaration is intended to demonstrate a political commitment by these partners to advance a positive vision for the internet and digital technologies.
By signing on to the Declaration, these partners have reaffirmed their commitment to a global Internet that is “truly open and fosters competition, privacy and respect for human rights.” The Declaration also emphasizes the need to safeguard privacy as a means to promote trust in the global digital ecosystem.
Digital trust is fundamental
What makes digital trust so essential to the internet and digital transformation? It gives individuals the confidence that interactions, purchases, business processes and other activities retain their security and integrity.
For example, IoT environments rely on data from sensors and devices to help organizations respond to events and make informed decisions. Digital trust is critical for assuring that this data has been provided by an authentic source and has not been compromised or altered. For example, if a sensor on a medical pump in a hospital environment is not generating dependable data, the impact on patient safety could be severe.
Digital trust provides peace of mind for interactions in our increasingly connected world. However, assuring a high level of trust isn’t easy. In the past, organizations could simply secure the enterprise network perimeter to ensure a robust level of trust in their environments.
Today, users, their applications, documents, and devices may extend across a broad range of locations and environments, including cloud services, hybrid workloads, and remote and home offices. The past boundaries that separated developers and IT operations are also breaking down as organizations adopt new DevOps-centric processes.
The pillars of digital trust
What are the key requirements to ensure digital trust? Its three critical elements include:
Authentication: Organizations must authenticate the identity of users, workloads, services and containers, as well as machines and devices Integrity: Digital trust requires organizations to take steps to ensure that an object and its data have not been altered or tampered with Encryption:Protecting data as it is transmitted is vital
These three requirements complement one another, enabling the assurance needed for digital interactions, processes and transactions. Public key infrastructure (PKI) digital certificates support them. PKI is a proven technology that has been widely adopted for a variety of use cases and allows organizations to establish and confirm identity, integrity and encryption, to establish a strong level of trust between people, systems and things.
Augmenting PKI for more robust digital trust
PKI is a powerful enabling technology for the three key pillars that make up the digital trust foundation. However, it’s just the beginning. To fully implement a trust initiative, organizations need additional elements, including standards, compliance and operations, trust management and connected trust capabilities.
Standards
Standards are what define the specifics of trust for an industry or technology. Some examples include the standards that certification authorities (CAs) must meet to be considered “trusted,” designated by vendors of Internet browser software and other stakeholders that utilize X.509 v.3 digital certificates for SSL/TLS, code signing and S/MIME. Other industry examples include the Matter standard for smart home devices and IoT platforms.
Compliance and Operations
Compliance and operations make up the second element of digital trust. Regulations are constantly changing and evolving, and organizations must ensure compliance policies, audits and other processes to confirm that their operations fully conform to local laws and industry standards.
Trust Management
Trust management is increasingly essential to keep the growing numbers of digital certificates current. Trust management can minimize manual processes associated with managing certificate lifecycles, using business process automation. Trust management can also help ensure that organizations remain in full compliance with their security policies, by helping minimize rogue activities.
Connected Trust
Connected trust is the fourth key element of digital trust. Connected trust helps organizations extend the final essential building block of digital trust, and helps organizations strengthen and extend the continuity of trust across complex device lifecycles, software supply chains and sophisticated ecosystems.
Today’s top IT imperative is digital trust
The Declaration of the Internet underscored the growing importance of the internet to today’s businesses and societies worldwide. The escalating volume of connected users and devices, together with increasing complexity, have elevated digital trust from an IT priority to a boardroom imperative. Today’s technology executives are focused on protecting not only their own businesses but their partner ecosystems, their end customers and ultimately, their communities. Crafting a robust digital trust strategy is key to assuring that our increasingly connected digital environments and processes remain safe and secure.